REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Vice President-elect Jusuf M. Kalla has urged Indonesia's urban population to accustom themselves to living in vertical housing complexes due to lack of space.
"In cities, space is limited, and so the only solution is to live in vertical housing complexes to save space," Jusuf Kalla emphasized here on Thursday.
Due to the country's rapid urbanization rate, some 60 percent of its population is estimated to live in cities by 2020, he forecast.
Due to a reduction in agricultural areas, the farmers have moved to working in the service industry in cities, according to him.
"In Java, on an average, a farmer has only 1/4 hectare of farming area. Economically, it is only enough to feed two persons. For a family having more than two members, they have to find another job such as in the industry and service sectors in cities," Kalla stated.
He called on Indonesians to adjust themselves to living in vertical housing facilities, such as flats and apartments, similar to the people of Singapore.
The next government will focus on infrastructure development and low-cost housing for the public.